Now, in the closing days of 2014, each evening newscast brings viewers new and increasingly uncomfortable scenes of unhappy angry protesters in confrontation with local police and body armored swat teams on the streets of cities across America. What began as a troubling confrontation between 18 year old black teenager Michael Brown and a Ferguson Missouri police officer this summer, ended seconds later with the teen’s death and the sudden fury of the Ferguson suburb where he lived.

Even though it’s been months since the Ferguson event, public outrage over people dying during police confrontations has only escalated. Many news outlets have certainly played their part in keeping America’s young people whipped up and heading to the streets, covering every protest with ample coverage which often continued for days on end without ceasing.

More people have been shot since the seminal “Ferguson” event, both civilians and cops. In fact, a quick perusal of any given day’s news stories will produce so many new reports of deaths by gun violence occurring between the general public and police officers, it’s a struggle to keep up.

I was still compiling this report when the story appeared on evening news broadcasts. These are the numbers and they are not good.

A combination image shows mourning bands placed over different police badges at the funeral of slain NYPD officer Rafael Ramos at Christ Tabernacle Church in the Queens borough of New York December 27, 2014.

Credit: Reuters/Carlo Allegrio

(Reuters) – Gun related deaths of U.S. law enforcement officers rose by 56 percent in 2014 compared to the previous year, with about one-third of officers killed in an ambush, the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial Fund said on Tuesday.

“Across the country, 50 officers were killed by guns in 2014 compared to 32 in 2013, according to National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial Fund, which aims to increase safety for law enforcement officers.”

The most deadly states were California, Texas, New York, Florida and Georgia, the group said.

“Fifteen officers were shot and killed in ambush, more than any other circumstance of fatal shootings in 2014,” the website said.

The deadly ambush of two New York City policemen as they sat in their squad car in New York on Dec. 20 was a flashpoint in a deepening rift between the city’s police department and Mayor Bill de Blasio.

The mayor had expressed qualified support for protests sparked by the deaths of unarmed black men in confrontations with white officers, and said he warned his biracial son of the “dangers he may face” in encountering police officers.

The shooter who killed the two policemen and then himself had written online that he was avenging the deaths of two unarmed black men last summer in Ferguson, Missouri, and New York.

Altogether, 126 law enforcement officers died in the line of duty in 2014, a 24 percent increase from 2013, when 102 officers were killed, the fund said.

The number of firearms-related fatalities matches 2012 statistics, when 50 officers were killed by guns,” the fund said.

The second most common cause of death for officers in 2014 was traffic-related incidents.

(Cited article re-posted from Reuter’s News on 12.29.2014: Original reporting by Barbara Goldberg in New York; Editing by Bill Trott)

Any scientist who has observed the inexplicable life forms of the deep ocean bottoms on earth must have paused to ponder that if life could thrive under those kinds of oceanic pressures, with 98% absence of any source of light at all, in sea water supposedly devoid of nourishment and nutrients, then blunt logic itself should point out that life could exist on other worlds as well. From that point on, one just does the math of probabilities based on the sheer number of worlds that we now know are out there. And I am only talking about the Milky Way galaxy, our home pinwheel of light, not the others. When you try to imagine the numbers of worlds which might hold life in the entire expanse of creation, you run the risk of passing out from the effort. My own soul has always felt that the universe we live in must be literally teeming with life, based on what we find at the bottom of the oceans, under our microscopes and the ever-expanding number of new planets which might hold life that astronomers are discovering every year.

So imagine my delight when I found this article today. I could not have said it better myself. Enjoy.

The odds of life existing on another planet grow ever longer. Intelligent design, anyone?

Corbis By Eric Metaxas

Dec. 25, 2014 4:56 p.m. ET

In 1966 Time magazine ran a cover story asking: “Is God Dead?”Many have accepted the cultural narrative that he’s obsolete—that as science progresses, there is less need for a “God” to explain the universe. Yet it turns out that the rumors of God’s death were premature. More amazing is that the relatively recent case for his existence comes from a surprising place—science itself.

Here’s the story: The same year Time featured the now-famous headline, the astronomer Carl Sagan announced that there were two important criteria for a planet to support life: The right kind of star, and a planet the right distance from that star. Given the roughly octillion—1 followed by 27 zeros—planets in the universe, there should have been about septillion—1 followed by 24 zeros—planets capable of supporting life.

With such spectacular odds, the Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence, a large, expensive collection of private and publicly funded projects launched in the 1960s, was sure to turn up something soon. Scientists listened with a vast radio telescopic network for signals that resembled coded intelligence and were not merely random. But as years passed, the silence from the rest of the universe was deafening. Congress defunded SETI in 1993, but the search continues with private funds. As of 2014, researches have discovered precisely bubkis—0 followed by nothing.

What happened? As our knowledge of the universe increased, it became clear that there were far more factors necessary for life than Sagan supposed. His two parameters grew to 10 and then 20 and then 50, and so the number of potentially life-supporting planets decreased accordingly. The number dropped to a few thousand planets and kept on plummeting.

Even SETI proponents acknowledged the problem. Peter Schenkel wrote in a 2006 piece for Skeptical Inquirer magazine: “In light of new findings and insights, it seems appropriate to put excessive euphoria to rest . . . . We should quietly admit that the early estimates . . . may no longer be tenable.”

As factors continued to be discovered, the number of possible planets hit zero, and kept going. In other words, the odds turned against any planet in the universe supporting life, including this one. Probability said that even we shouldn’t be here.

Today there are more than 200 known parameters necessary for a planet to support life—every single one of which must be perfectly met, or the whole thing falls apart. Without a massive planet like Jupiter nearby, whose gravity will draw away asteroids, a thousand times as many would hit Earth’s surface. The odds against life in the universe are simply astonishing.

Yet here we are, not only existing, but talking about existing. What can account for it? Can every one of those many parameters have been perfect by accident? At what point is it fair to admit that science suggests that we cannot be the result of random forces? Doesn’t assuming that an intelligence created these perfect conditions require far less faith than believing that a life-sustaining Earth just happened to beat the inconceivable odds to come into being?

There’s more. The fine-tuning necessary for life to exist on a planet is nothing compared with the fine-tuning required for the universe to exist at all. For example, astrophysicists now know that the values of the four fundamental forces—gravity, the electromagnetic force, and the “strong” and “weak” nuclear forces—were determined less than one millionth of a second after the big bang. Alter any one value and the universe could not exist. For instance, if the ratio between the nuclear strong force and the electromagnetic force had been off by the tiniest fraction of the tiniest fraction—by even one part in 100,000,000,000,000,000—then no stars could have ever formed at all. Feel free to gulp.

Multiply that single parameter by all the other necessary conditions, and the odds against the universe existing are so heart-stoppingly astronomical that the notion that it all “just happened” defies common sense. It would be like tossing a coin and having it come up heads 10 quintillion times in a row. Really?

Fred Hoyle, the astronomer who coined the term “big bang,” said that his atheism was “greatly shaken” at these developments. He later wrote that “a common-sense interpretation of the facts suggests that a super-intellect has monkeyed with the physics, as well as with chemistry and biology . . . . The numbers one calculates from the facts seem to me so overwhelming as to put this conclusion almost beyond question.”

Theoretical physicist Paul Davies has said that “the appearance of design is overwhelming” and Oxford professor Dr. John Lennox has said “the more we get to know about our universe, the more the hypothesis that there is a Creator . . . gains in credibility as the best explanation of why we are here.”

The greatest miracle of all time, without any close seconds, is the universe. It is the miracle of all miracles, one that ineluctably points with the combined brightness of every star to something—or Someone—beyond itself.

Mr. Metaxas is the author, most recently, of “Miracles: What They Are, Why They Happen, and How They Can Change Your Life” ( Dutton Adult, 2014).

Correction

An earlier version understated the number of zeroes in an octillion and a septillion.

With a bloody and devastating three year old civil war still raging in Syria, as Iraq is now being carved into ever smaller disjointed pieces by ISIS terrorists, with Israel and HAMAS in Palestine now exchanging more rocket fire every three or four weeks, and with the ongoing unrest in Egypt seizing headlines daily, the possibility of a larger military flashpoint igniting in the Mideast seems to draw ever closer.

This page will document unfolding events in Syria, Jordan, Egypt, Iraq, Iran, Israel, Turkey, Saudi Arabia and Yemen. The level of serious unrest and instability unfolding in the Mideast is worsening with every passing week. I grew up reading stories about terror and suicide attacks in Israel, most of which during the 1970s and 80s were launched by the PLO or Palestinian Liberation Army, led by Yasser Arafat. Today HAMAS continues the attacks on Israel that Yasser Arafat was so well known for decades ago.

US foreign policy in the Mideast has been less effective during the Obama presidency than at any time in recent memory. If the Mideast finally fully ignites, the whole world will eventually be pulled into it’s deadly spinning vortex of war, and that is why so many eyes are always on the region. Bookmark this page and stop by to browse updates as they are posted.

Commensurate with the rising tide of hatred and violence in the Mideast is the rising threat of renewed terror attacks on US soil. When ISIS leader Abu Bakr Baghdadi was released from prison by US military forces in Iraq in 2009, he turned to his former jailor and said:

“I’ll see you in New York.”

I would like to introduce the following quote from Barack Obama as an example of one of the TOP TEN most misguided foreign policy statements ever made by a sitting US president:

“… Iraq is not a perfect place. It has many challenges ahead. But we’re leaving behind a sovereign, stable and self-reliant Iraq, with a representative government that was elected by its people. We’re building a new partnership between our nations. And we are ending a war not with a final battle, but with a final march toward home. This is an extraordinary achievement, nearly nine years in the making.” – President Barack Obama, 2011

For those who are just awakening to the magnitude of the present threat to our nation [ Why were you ever asleep? ] I’d like to present the following document, which I consider to be MUST READING for every American who loves our country and wants to see it protected intact from radical Islamic rot within.

This May 1991 memo was written by Mohamed Akram, a.k.a. Mohamed Adlouni, for the Shura Council of the Muslim Brotherhood. In the introductory letter, Akram referenced a “long-term plan…approved and adopted” by the Shura Council in 1987 and proposed this memo as a supplement to that plan and requested that the memo be added to the agenda for an upcoming Council meeting. Appended to the document is a list of all Muslim Brotherhood organizations in North America as of 1991.

Any “war watch” which examines the Mideast must also be on constant watch for rising incidents of radical Islamic incursions into the heart of American civic life and society. I strongly suggest that all my readers spend some time and subscribe to the news blog http://creepingsharia.wordpress.com to get up to speed on what is already taking place in America that might shock and surprise you. You will also find the RSS news feed for Creeping Sharianews blog on the front page right columns of this blog.

You won’t see these reports on regular evening newscasts as there is an ongoing explicit NEWS BLACKOUT against any MSM media outlet reporting incidents indicative of the advancement of radical Islamic thought and Sharia Law in the US on evening newscasts. Anyone who would like to explain to me exactly WHY this is the case, please hit the comment field below this page, and enlighten me. It’s infuriating and un-American to hide these news stories from the American people, but that is exactly what is taking place.

Hawaii based pastor JD Farag gives a superb sermon detailing how present catastrophic events in Iraq may fulfill Bible prophecy and lay open the possibility of the invasion of Jerusalem by ISIS: MUST SEE, MUST SHARE video.

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It’s both heartbreaking and infuriating. Untold billions of our US tax dollars are up there, slowly and tediously mapping the surface of Mars via the ongoing surface crawl journey of Mars Rover Curiosity. But apparently too much curiosity just won’t do, and certain earth-shaking possibly “Mars-made” non-natural objects which the rover finds lying about on … […]

Obama’s senior advisor, Valerie Jarrett, was born in Iran. Valerie’s father-in-law, Vernon Jarrett, wrote a very interesting newspaper article in 1979. It’s been cited below in it’s entirety. If you wanted to try to get your head around WHY Barack Obama did not attend the Paris Unity March a few days back, the article below … Continue reading → […]

Originally posted on tomfernandez28's Blog:40 World Leaders in France Stand Up for Freedom Against the Terrorists. One Major Figure Was Missing. Nearly four million people took to the streets of Paris Sunday to take a stand against terrorism. The massive crowd included more than 40 world leaders, but President Obama was nowhere to…

The WordPress.com stats helper monkeys prepared a 2014 annual report for News247-365 news blog. In 2014 I was more of a sporadic news blogger than a regular daily blogger, due to business obligations to my Ebay store, Cherokee Blue Trading Post, which has been booming. Making a living was a priority over news blogging, although … Continue reading →

Originally posted on Biblical Times:“Across the country, 50 police officers were killed by guns in 2014 compared to 32 in 2013, according to National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial Fund, which aims to increase safety for law enforcement officers.” ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? In August of 2014, the…

by, J. Schuyler Montague | sharia unveiled Los Angeles, CA; A homeless man was shot and killed following a brief physical altercation with police. Seven Los Angeles officers attempted to detain a man which led to police taking him to the ground. Not long after the altercation started, it ended with the familiar report […]

The Constitution of the United States is now Officially Suspended Two ex-senior Justice Department officials say allegations about police operation are ‘very disturbing’ and raise serious questions about constitutional violations by, Spencer Ackerman | the guardian Two former senior Justice Department officials are calling on their colleagues to investigate […]

by, Ildefenso Ortiz | Breitbart News Illegal aliens with ties to terrorist organizations have been working to bring other suspected terrorists into America through a wide open Texas border. This is just one of the many red flags raised by the state’s top law enforcement agency in a leaked report. At least 10 ISIS […]

At least 350 Christians are confirmed hostages currently being held by the Muslim Terrorists. A future ‘Mass Execution’ is feared by, ANSAmed | h/t Glen Roberts @ Trop ROME – The Islamic State (ISIS) has murdered 15 of the Christians it took hostage in northeastern Syria earlier this week. The news was given by Archimandrite […]

by, J. Schuyler Montague | sharia unveiled A video has emerged that shows 3 Syrian soldiers held captive by ISIS. The soldiers are seated with their hands tied behind their backs, as the reverberated echo of an Islamic cleric reads out ‘alleged’ charges against them. Obviously, an incitement to violence, as the crowd of […]

American Atheist Blogger, Avijit Roy. by, Hindu Existence | h/t Trop Eminent Blogger and writer Avijit Roy has been killed and his wife, blogger Rafida Ahmed Bonna, severely injured when unidentified miscreants hacked them at TSC of Dhaka University on Thursday night. Avijit, son of former DU teacher Dr Ajay Roy and also the founder […]

Photo courtesy of: Mirror Message was posted by Twitter account used to publicize ISIS activity ISIS supporter threatened to conquer Rome and bring shariah law to city Also warned terrorists will ‘throw homosexuals off Leaning Tower of Pisa Comes after jihadist spoke of plans to takeover Italian capital in ISIS video Threats sparked flood of […]

by, Suhaib Anjarini | Al Monitor The Islamic State of Iraq and al-Sham (ISIS) has succeeded in imposing itself as a key player in the complex Syrian equation in a relatively short time, which some consider a record time. That would be the case had ISIS been a new organization, but in fact the only thing […]

St. Catherine Monastery, Sinai Egypt. Letter to the Monks of St. Catherine Monastery by, J. Schuyler Montague | sharia unveiled (contributing sources; saimmadyer | Covenant of the Prophet | h/t Muslim Village & scoloxzar) The following is based upon an alleged ‘Charter of Privileges’ that Muhammad was said to have granted to the Christians of St. Catheri […]